Alone and Hurting
by PrimeEmily135
Summary: Valentines' Day has come around again, and Bunnymund is spending it more alone than usual.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own anything Rise of the Guardians. Although if I did Toothiana would definitely have ended up with Bunnymund. So this is a BunnymundxToothianaxJack story. Enjoy! :)**

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That accursed holiday had come again, like it did every year. Valentines' Day. It was a time of love and happiness, but for him it brought only misery and sadness. He had nothing against the holiday per say, and he was actually pretty good friends with Cupid, what the holiday stood for just reminded him of all the bad memories he had...

Bunnymund looked up at the clock on his wall as he scrubbed some potatoes for his dinner. If his Valentines' tradition was still going, Toothiana should be there any minute to try to persuade him to go to Cupid's party. He would politely say no, and she would argue why not, to which he would reply that he didn't want to talk about it. Sometimes she'd spend more time trying to convince him, sometimes she would just leave after that. Every year they did this, and he never went with. He was surprised that she even tried anymore.

Five thirty. Any minute now.

He sliced up the carrots and threw them into the stew, along with the diced potatoes and several other things. Perhaps he would do something different this year. Maybe he would go with? What harm was there in that really? It would probably be good for him to socialize with the others without there being some sort of crisis. Or maybe he'd ask Toothiana to just stay with him?

Five forty-five. Where was she?

He tapped his foot anxiously, his heart sinking for a moment. It was really silly to think that she would always come. Maybe she had finally given up on him after all... Maybe she went to Cupid's party with Jack?

Biting his lip, Bunnymund leaned against the counter to steady himself. No, she couldn't have! She couldn't have gone with Jack. It was just too cruel... Of course he knew she liked Jack, but he just couldn't accept the possibility that she would choose the winter spirit over him... again.

The fairy had been spending a lot more time with Jack than him lately. And although he tried not to let it bother him, it hurt. It hurt to know that he was being replaced. They used to be such close friends, he had even started to think of them as a little more than that, but now they were slowly distancing from each other. All because that kid became a Guardian.

He closed his eyes as they started to water. He was over reacting. All because she didn't come to see him didn't mean he should jump to conclusions. She could have been busy... Or... Something...

"Who the hell am I kidding?" he looked down at the floor sadly. After all that had happened, Toothiana would be all over Jack. The thought made him sick to his stomach but it was true. She wouldn't even think it possible that someone else might like her. She had both eyes firmly planted on Jack.

He took the stew off the fire, setting it aside. Suddenly he didn't feel too hungry. He felt horrible. Like someone had just taken his heart and crushed it. It wasn't the first time however, the feeling seemed to return every few hundred years. The last time was when his wife had died...

Taking some time to collect himself again, Bunnymund hopped up onto his worn couch and curled up into a ball. Drooping his ears sadly, he closed his watering eyes and drifted off into tortured dreams of his past life...

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**So... One shot? Story? You guys decide. I have an idea for a story, but whether I write it or not depends on the reviews. So please Review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for reviewing! You all are awesome! And don't worry, I wasn't going to leave poor Bunny all sad and depressed... Although that won't change any time soon I'm afraid... Well, here's chapter 2. Enjoy! :)**

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Toothiana _was_ at Cupid's party. And she _was_ there with Jack.

She watched him as he talked, completely enthralled with his heart wrenching tales. Three Hundred years he had been ignored. Unseen. Unknown. Not Believed in. Alone. It brought tears to her eyes at the mere thought of it. Out of all the Guardians she was sure he had the worst past. And it made her like him all the more...

Jack Frost. Handsome boy for eternity. Snow white hair and sparkling teeth. Perfect teeth...

"Tooth?"

"Huh?" her pink eyes snapped up to meet his and she blushed, realizing that she had been drug off into a day dream. But Jack just smiled his perfect smile and laughed, floating up into the air with his staff.

"I asked if you wanted anything to drink. Punch?" he crinkled his nose, probably remembering that she hated sugar. "Water maybe?"

"Uh yeah, water." she smiled sheepishly, at him and he left. She sighed an slumped back into the couch. In actuality she loved some sweet things, she was half humming bird, but if she had anything with sugar she was afraid she would go from losing focus on Jack to talking his cute ears off.

She breathed in deeply, releasing the air in a controlled burst to steady herself. She had been very nervous to come with Jack to this party. He had been so casual when he asked her to go with him she doubted he saw it the same way she did. She felt all jittery inside, and she couldn't think about anything other than the fact that she was on a date (albeit unofficial) with Jack Frost! It was just too much on here already fried nerves.

"Ah, there she is! Just the fairy I wanted to see!" Cupid came up from behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder in greeting. She smiled up at him and he took Jack's place beside her. Unlike most depictions of Cupid, he wasn't a baby with a heart bow and in diapers. The wise elderly looking man in a black and red suit was much more the image of the Guardian of Love and Attraction. The small wrinkles in his face showed many lifetimes of joy and happiness, and his deep blue eyes showed brightly with love and adoration, and also sympathy and knowing. Being that he knew everything about love, he also knew everything about rejection and the sadness of loss.

"Hey Cupid." she didn't meet his eyes, knowing that if she did he would instantly know what was on her mind, if he didn't already. "Thanks for having us all over. Your house is as lovely as usual."

The man nodded proudly with a smile, looking around the room. "It is nicer when you all are here to fill the empty space. I'm glad you could come."

"I'm happy to be here." _With Jack_. She added in her mind, blushing again.

"Yes, it seems everyone is here... But haven't you forgotten someone Tooth?" he looked at her meaningfully, but she just shook her head, not understanding what he was hinting at.

"I don't think I have. What could I have forgotten?-" then it hit her, and she was left breathless. She had forgotten to ask Bunnymund to come with. "Bunny..." the whisper escaped her lips before she could stop it, and Cupid nodded in affirmation. "I was so excited to be coming here with Jack tonight I forgot about him!" she held a hand over her lips in shock, her heart skipping. She looked up at curiously. "But how did you know I forgot him?"

Cupid smiled at her sadly, holding one of her slender hands in his as he stood up. "As the Guardian of love, I can see when someone is in pain, as long as they have love for another in their heart..." he lead her away from the others into a separate room, guiding her over to a reflecting pool in the corner. He pointed at the water to show her something and it stilled so they could see.

Toothiana leaned over the water slightly and waited for the image to clear before she gasped. It was a picture of the cottage in Bunnymund's Warren! She could see his living room in clarity, the fire in the fireplace and a pot of stew abandoned on the hearth. But what her eyes locked onto was the fluffy Pooka curled into a ball on the couch. His fists opened and closed fitfully, clutching at his chest. His body shook slightly, like a shiver, but he didn't move any closer to the fire. and when she looked closer she could see his open eyes glittering with tears.

Tooth backed away from the image quickly, unable to stand the look of pain in his eyes. "What's wrong with him?" Bunnymund never cried, his eyes didn't even water when he was sad. Why now were his dark, crisp green eyes filled with tears?

"What's the matter with him you mean?" Cupid shook his head sadly, running a hand through his short, greying black hair. "A number of things... Jack isn't the only one of the Guardians with a tragic past Tooth." his eyes seemed to penetrate into her accusingly, and she couldn't help but wonder just how much he knew of what she admired in Jack. "Bunnymund is the last of his kind... He has his personal problems and his own past. But today..." he sighed, taking a seat in a chair close to her. "Today marks the anniversary of something terrible that happened to him a long time ago. He had a wife you know. Wonderful lady she was, I met her on several occasions. But a few Hundred years ago, just before our Pooka friend was named a Guardian, she was killed. She was killed on Valentines' Day... He lost his wife, his best friend, and was made the last Pooka in existence."

Toothiana couldn't stand. She sat down on the floor, her previously giddy mood replaced with one of sorrow. He had often told her that he didn't like Valentines' day, but she had never known why...

"But for the past few hundred years he had something that held him together..." Cupid's eyes traveled sadly to the water and she couldn't imagine what he was seeing. "Every year you would go to him, near the exact time his wife had died, and it would distract him from the memories... But you weren't there today... And he is hurting terribly..." the man sighed, standing again.

Tooth looked up at him, her vision clouded with watery tears. "Why are you showing me this?"

He paused in the doorway, looking unsure for a moment before sighing again. "I told you I can sense pain in those with love in their hearts. Bunnymund's heart is filled with love for someone he sees has chosen another. He grieves the loss of his wife, but it is the other that he mourns tonight..." he stepped through the door, his smile returning as he went to greet his guests.

Toothiana crept slowly closer to the reflecting pool, keeping her feet on the floor so her wings wouldn't disrupt the water. The same scene was across the water and as she looked closer at it she felt her heart aching. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but he wasn't there with her...

His lips formed a soundless name, and she could see that it brought even more pain to him. She didn't know what it was he was saying, but he kept saying it over, and over, and over. She was just about to leave the water when he said something else, something she had seen and heard him say many times before.

"_Toothiana_..." she could practically hear his voice as he said her name. "_Toothiana, why?"_

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**There you go! The next chapter should be up soon. Please Review And have a great Christmas Eve! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

A few months passed and before he knew it, Easter was already upon him. Normally he was filled with joy when it was time for his trip around the world, but today he couldn't keep a smile on his face to save his life. He hadn't seen Toothiana in months, since North's Christmas party to be exact. It seemed like she was ignoring his existence.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. There he was, coming to conclusions again. She might just have been too busy to visit him at all in the past four months... She wouldn't avoid him, they were good friends... She wouldn't do that.

Tightening his grip on the basket in his paw, he looked up the hundreds of stairs that lead into the Toothfairy's castle. Perhaps he was trying to show her that he still carried on their traditions or maybe he was just getting desperate to see her again. In any case he had prepared her an Easter basket like he always did, filled with chocolate mint Easter eggs (her favorite), and was taking it to her before he started his escapade.

Tooth's mini fairies buzzed around him excitedly when they saw him, some checking out what he had brought and the others just chirping happily. He smiled at them, feeling a little more encouraged. But when he reached the top of the tower where Toothiana usually worked he paused, his heart pounding in his chest. The mini fairies flew past him to speak with their queen, but he remained just out of sight.

He should tell her. Now was the perfect and perhaps his last opportunity to tell her how he really felt about her. If he wasn't too late already...

He sighed deeply, looking down at the ground sternly. "Come on! You can do it mate!" He peaked around the pillar at the fairy queen. Her eyes were bright with joy and her smile was warm and loving. "How hard could it be?" he braced himself, preparing to come out of hiding, but stopped as a chill swept over him and the pillar he was beside started to frost. He felt himself go numb for a moment, realizing that Toothiana wasn't alone.

Jack Frost floated up to her, being swarmed by a dozen mini fairies at the same time. Tooth laughed and scolded the fairies half heartedly before giving the winter spirit a welcoming hug. Bunnymund closed his eyes, feeling his heart sink. She was with him... That accursed _Frost_! And there was nothing he could about it...

As quietly as he had come he set the basket down behind the pillar and left, only looking back once long enough to see the two of them holding hands. He could hear the two Guardians laughing and joking and...flirting... It was too much for him to take. So at the bottom of the castle he tapped his foot twice on the ground and left through his underground tunnel, with no other proof that he had even been there to begin with...

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**Thank you all so much for the Reviews! They make me smile so much! :)**

**Next chapter will probably be from Tooth's perspective again. Don't know when I'll have it out but it should be sometime soon. :)**

**Leave a Review and above all, have an amazing holiday! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Toothiana quickly released Jack's hand when she heard Babytoooth cry out in alarm. The mini fairy was hidden behind one of the many pillars, her small beak stuck in a chocolate egg. Her tiny arms were braced against the candy in her attempt to free herself, but her struggle was useless. And when she saw her queen she slumped in helplessness, looking up at her with a pathetic chirp.

"Babytooth!" Toothiana wrapped her thin hands around the poor fairy and pulled her stuck beak free from the dark substance, holding her comfortingly in her arms. "Are you okay? What happened?" she cooed and Baby chirped, looking up at her innocently.

"Looks like the Easter Kangaroo came by and left you a gift Tooth." Jack smiled down at the mini fairy in her arms. "And it looks like Baby here wanted to try some." Babytooth shook her head fervently, but the guilty look in her eyes said that was exactly what had happened.

Toothiana paused in her worry and looked down at the basket of sweets, her heart stopping for a moment. Bunnymund had been there already? Why hadn't he said something? Why didn't she see him? Her eyes refocused on Jack and she gasped, holding a hand over her mouth.

Something Cupid Valentine had said to her didn't make sense until she saw the basket and then turned to see Jack. Something clicked now, and she understood. "_Bunnymund's heart is filled with love for someone he sees has chosen another. He grieves the loss of his wife, but it is the other that he mourns tonight_..." it made horrific sense now!

"Aster..." she looked down the stairs to the far away land below, just barely able to see a furry grey/blue figure disappear into the ground. Tears welded up in her eyes as she looked conflicted between Jack and where Bunnymund had disappeared.

"Hey Tooth, you alright?" Jack placed a kind hand on her shoulder but she quickly flew farther away from him.

"Jack, I'm sorry. I have to go." She urged the mini fairy in her arms to fly off and assume command. "I just-I need to talk to someone. I'll see you soon." with that, she took off into the sky towards Saint Valentine's home.

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"It was me?! '_Bunnymund's heart is filled with love for someone he sees has chosen another'_?!" Toothiana stared at him in disbelief. "Why didn't you just tell me it was me? I thought you were talking about Mother Nature or something! Darn you Valentine! Why do you have to make things so complicated?" she slumped down into his couch, burying her face in her hands.

Cupid sighed slowly, sitting down beside her. "Love is complicated Tooth, and I am it's symbol..." he shrugged helplessly. "Honestly I thought I had dropped a very obvious hint. I can't believe it took you this long to figure it out."

Tooth moaned loudly, shutting out all light from her eyes. "Well now I feel terrible! I haven't seen Aster in months, and now I think he might not want to see me ever again..."

Valentine rolled his eyes humorously. "As if that would ever happen... Tooth, trust me. This isn't the first time he has felt stuck in a rut where no sun shines. He'll-pardon my pun-bounce back soon enough. Today is quite stressful for him, and I'm sure if you went to see him this evening he would be more than happy to talk with you."

She looked up at him, mildly considering the idea but pushing it away with another question. She just wasn't ready to face Bunnymund after her recent discovery. "What would we talk about? I don't think I can ever look him in the eyes again!" she looked to him for some advice but it seemed that he was running out of answers.

The man pinched the bridge of his nose in thought, closing his eyes. "Just talk like you usually do. And if you find the courage to, tackle the issue head on and tell him how you feel."

"But I don't _love_ him-"

Valentine raised a hand to silence her. "That is not entirely true..." he looked at her with a stern knowing in his eyes. "And don't you _dare ever_ say that you don't. Love is more than a romantic sense. It is true you may have no physical attraction to him, but your emotional bonds with him are undeniable. You love him like you would any of the rest of us. If you care about someone, never say that you don't 'love' them."

Toothiana stared up at the ceiling, breathing deeply through her nose. "Cupid... I can't talk to him about this, but I can't just ignore it either! Just tell me, if I do go talk to him...Can you guarantee me that he and I can both live happily being just friends?"

"No, I cannot."

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**Looks like Toothmight be at a crossroad. But what will she choose? A possible relationship with Jack? Or keeping Bunnymund as a friend? We'll check in on her later. Next chapter Bunny visits with some friends. Stay tuned... :) and Please Review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Bunny-Bunny hop-hop-hop!" little Sophie bounced up and down around the Easter bunny, a grin plastered to her adorable face. Her shaggy blonde hair bounced in her face, covering her large excited eyes as she ran around the Pooka with her arms outstretched to him.

Bunnymund smiled, feeling his heart lighten a bit as he picked the child up into his arms. He even laughed a little as he touched noses with her. "Hey ya little ankle biter. You being good and staying out of trouble Sheila?"

"Yes!" she giggled and buried her small hands in his fur.

He smiled at her throwing her up into the air and catching her again. She shrieked in delight and hugged him around his neck happily. "You're getting so big Soph, how old are you now?"

She leaned back in his paws, holding up her hand to count her fingers. "Almost four!" she said proudly, holding up five fingers.

He chuckled, helping her up onto his shoulders. "Well now, that makes you practically a lady now doesn't it?" Sophie pulled a face in disagreement. "No? Not quite?" he made sure she had a hold of his neck before he hopped into the woods.

"Do you have Easter eggs?" she asked excitedly, and he felt his spirits lighten. This was exactly what he needed to get his mind off of Jack and Toothiana. He was all done hiding eggs and had enough time to visit with Sophie and her brother before heading back to his cottage.

"I sure do. And I saved my best ones for you." he stopped in a small clearing by the park and let the little girl jump down from his shoulders. She immediately started crawling around benches and slides, looking for colored eggs. Bunny watched her, naturally watching out for dangers to her. Even though he was supposed to love all children, he had taken a special liking to her that he had never had with any other children. She was his favorite child in the world, and he would do anything to keep her happy and safe.

"Bunnymund!"

He whipped around at the sound of the Jamie's voice and was a little surprised at the lung crushing hug the boy gave him. "Hey there little buggers..." he patted Jamie on the back and looked around at all his friends. "I hid them eggs in new places this year, so look hard." the children darted away with their baskets quickly in search, laughing in delight.

That left him and little Sophie alone again. The little girl sat on the grass nearby, three colorful eggs in her arms. Bunnymund watched her fondly as she turned each one over in her small hands. "Soph!" he called to her and she looked up. "Come 'ere, I have something for ya." she scrambled up to her feet, careful not to damage her prizes, and she waited next to him with an eager gleam in her eyes.

Bunnymund reached into his traveling satchel, finding the gold chain he was looking for and brought it out for her to see. She squealed in happiness as he held the necklace out to her and she reached out to touch the Easter egg shaped pendant. He smiled and slipped it on over her head. "Now, you have to promise me you won't lose this Soph, okay? It's very special."

"Why is it special?" she held the pendant in her hands curiously.

He stooped down next to her, moving some of her hair out of her face. "Well, you see..." he pointed to a ring on his left hand. It looked identical to the necklace. "These are magic."

"Magic?"

He nodded. "Yes Shiela, magic. And as long as you have that with you I will always be able to find you. If you ever need me, just call for me and I'll come... Do you understand?" she nodded and he smiled down at her. He knew that she was only a youngster and probably didn't understand yet, but he was glad she was happy with the gift. "I have to go now, but I'll see you soon okay?"

Sophie hugged him tightly with small tears of sadness in her eyes. She didn't want him to leave. "I love you Bunny..."

"'Love you too, ya little ankle biter..."

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**I really see Bunny thinking of Sophie like a daughter for some reason. Am I the only one?**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a Review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry! Short chapter ahead! And it kind of ends abruptly too I think.. Next chapter will be better I promise. :)**

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Toothiana moved through the tunnels slowly. Her normally chipper mood was replaced with anxiety, and her movements were twitchy and unsure. She was dreading seeing Bunnymund. She never dreaded seeing him before, and she couldn't figure out why she was this time. He was her best friend, shouldn't she be able to visit him after his Holiday to see if things went well? Of course she should. But if she was honest with herself, that wasn't the real reason for her visit...

It was about one o'clock in the afternoon when she reached the open field of the Warren. She knew that Aster would be done with his work and was surely already in his cottage making notes for next year's trip, although he practically had everything down to a science by now. She didn't know how to feel about what she was there for. She justified it as the right thing to do, but it just didn't feel right. She didn't want to hurt him any more than she already had... But it was best that she came clean, wasn't it?

She sighed, bracing herself mentally for the challenge ahead. Raising her small hand she knocked on the door of the Easter Bunny's home. She could hear the sound echo around inside, but even after a moment of wait there was no sound of footsteps. No scurrying within. Not the slightest sound came in return.

"Huh..." Tooth looked through one of the windows curiously and found the downstairs completely vacant. There wasn't even a fire burning in the fireplace. Given all the facts, he wasn't home... He always came back to his Warren after his round the world trip. Where was he?

She felt a little sting in her conscience, remembering that her confusion had probably been shared the night she hadn't showed up to meet him on Valentine's day. She hadn't realized how much the two of them depended on tradition to interact with each other. They could always count on each other to be somewhere on most days and knew when they would meet up on others. And they always knew where to find each other...

"I guess I'll just wait for him..." she spoke aloud, swinging her arms back and forth indecisively. After a moment of looking around she sat down on the front porch steps. She didn't k ow how much longer he would be, but already she was starting to get anxious. "Where are you Bunnymund?" she just hoped that nothing bad had happened to him on his way home...

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After another two hours she began to worry. What if he had run into dogs? Or worse, what if Pitch had got to him? What if he was hurt somewhere and couldn't contact the rest of the Guardians?

Tooth flittered up into the air, looking around the Warren for a fifth time to see if he was anywhere nearby. But he wasn't... "Bunnymund!" she cupped her hands to her mouth and called out over the fields. "Aster! Are you out here?!"

She waited worriedly for another second before flying off into the wooded area of the magical underground realm. She had to get to North's place. Maybe he had stopped there and was caught up in some trouble with the Russian Santa. And if he wasn't she should tell North that he was missing. Maybe they could find him or attract him to them by activating the Northern lights-

"Ooph!" Toothiana slammed head first into a thick tree trunk. In her hurry she hadn't seen it, and flew right into it. Swaying dizzily she fluttered down to the ground, feeling herself start to swoon. "Oooh, that doesn't feel good..."

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**Aww, poor Tooth went and bonked her head... Poor girl. Next chapter, Bunnymund has to face some facts he'd rather not have to... Leave a Review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**warning:: one cuss word ahead, heartbreak and broken friendships...**

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Bunnymund hopped down the underground highway to his Warren, a slight pep in his step. He felt much better now than he had before, seeing Sophie again had helped raise his spirits. But somehow he couldn't shake a feeling of foreboding as he came closer and closer to his home. Shadows seemed to move towards him, but he knew that was impossible. Pitch was deep in his cave, unable to return to the light until his power returned. But whatever it was disturbing him made his hair stand up on end...

Seeing his cottage in the distance he relaxed his pace and took a moment to catch his breath. With a tired sigh he looked upon the sight with satisfaction. Building the house by himself had been a painstaking task but he had done it. And it looked good, simple. White painted wood with grayish-green trim decorated the outside of the house. The dark grey wood shingled roof was worn and needed to be replaced, but one thing at a time. He had to work on the front porch first. There were a few boards that squeaked too much for his taste. And it could use a repaint. But the biggest issue at the present was the figure sitting on his stairs.

"Toothiana?" his jaw dropped in surprise, and he stumbled in his hurry to meet up with her. She looked up at him with a sad smile holding a hand on her head, hiding what looked suspiciously like a goose egg. The sight of her here on his porch made his heart thump quickly in his chest and his mouth go dry. "Toothy... What are you doing here?" he took her hands in his sweating paws and brought her up to her feet.

Her wings fluttered and she raised up to become eye level with him. "I-I just wanted to see how your trip went, I mean-how are you feeling?" she glanced around a little awkwardly and his felt the pit of his stomach burn.

"It went well, and I feel well. The children's faith in me has been renewed and I feel believed in completely." his eyebrows knit in concern and he reached out to touch the misshapen part of her head feathers gingerly. She winced at the touch and his paw retreated quickly. "How did that happen?"

Her face heated up in embarrassment and for a moment he thought maybe he didn't want to know the answer. She smiled slightly, looking down at the ground and his feeling of dread only increased. "Well..." she fidgeted. "When I got here and you weren't home... I got worried and went out to look for you... And I-I flew into a tree..."

His green eyes widened at that and he held onto her shoulders. "Crikey Tooth! You okay Sheila?" he knew how quickly she flew and crashing was no joke for her.

"Yeah, I couldn't see straight for a little while but I got back here and sat down and now I'm fine."

Her nervous chuckle unnerved him but not to the point that he forgot his duty as host. he gave her a smile and opened the cottage door. "Would you like to come in? I might be a little late but I have an ice pack floating around somewhere." he tried to lighten the mood a bit and it brought a smile to her.

"I'd like an ice pack, thanks." she tittered, dropping to her feet and walking inside. Bunnymund made sure to shut the door behind him, finding outside to be oddly cold and foreboding.

He hopped over to his basement stairs and retrieved the cold block from his ice chest, quickly guiding her over to her favorite chair and giving it to her. She thanked him and pressed it to her forehead gently, wincing. He continued to his small kitchen corner and unloaded the contents of his satchel onto the counter. "Will you be staying for dinner Tooth? I didn't really get to see you this morning and I haven't seen you in ages..." he cast her a lonely look and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay for dinner." she conceded without a fight and he smiled hopefully to himself, sorting through the ingredients he had picked up.

"Hope you like Indian style tofu curry mate." he picked up a small brown box and tossed it near the fireplace. "Nice little boy left a gift for me and I thought I might as well use it..." he pulled out and sorted the rest of his things with a long sigh. "Not many kids in that area believe in me..." he smiled warmly at the Tooth Fairy. "I suppose you know what that's like."

She shuddered in horror... "So many teeth, just-just thrown away! Ugh, don't remind me of it."

He chuckled and set about making a fire and prepping his pan. They were quiet, and he could almost sense that she was there for a reason beyond just visiting him. It was written all over her face. And he didn't like what he was reading off from her. She was stiff, self conscious, and taking steadying breaths.

"Is there something on your mind Tooth?" he finally gained the courage to ask, busying himself with cutting ingredients.

"Yes... I wanted to ask you something..." her pause made him glance back at her nervously, but he continued on with his work as if nothing was bothering him. "Why didn't you at least say hi this morning before you left my palace?"

He stiffened slightly. "I was-in a bit of a rush I suppose..." he lied, shifting on his feet.

The next time he heard her speak it was quiet and timid. "Was it because Jack was with me?"

The sharp knife slipped from his paw and clattered to the wooden floor as he jerked in shock. He bent down and picked it back up, stuttering in defense. "No! O-of course not. Why would you think that mate?" he felt himself start to shake, shivering as the shock took over his body.

"Aster, we need to talk. A serious talk..."

Bunnymund set the knife aside with a shaking paw, feeling his chest constrict. He could hardly breathe! And his eyes started watering just slightly. "Toothy please, no." he braced himself against the countertop, forcing himself not to move. He could control the shaking, but his tears were a completely different story. "I-I can't..." he squeaked, to his own horror...

Toothiana stood up and flittered over to his side, holding his shoulder firmly. "Aster, we've been friends a long time. And there is almost nothing I hold more precious then all the time we have spent together. But I can't ignore my feelings towards Jack..."

"Tooth... Don't tell me this..." he pleaded, but she continued on.

"I talked with Valentine at his party, and I know that you have some feelings for me-" that took him by surprise, but he didn't show it. He hung his head between his arms, his ears drooping sadly. "-but I love Jack. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is..."

He flinched as her small hand touched his back. "Tooth please..." he was sobbing. To his personal disgust he was crying helplessly in front of her. "Have you even considered that I might-"

"Bunny I love Jack. You need to understand that." she interrupted him. "I don't love you, and that's not going to change any time soon."

His heart stopped, and he felt himself dying inside. "Tooth-" he just couldn't believe that. How could she say that she would never love him? Did that mean that she didn't care about him at all? Or did she mean that she only cares about him as a friend? Either way, it tore his heart out. And he couldn't think of a thing to say that would relieve the pain in his chest. "Toothy-"

"I'm sorry Aster... It's just the way I really feel..."

He shook his head, unable to come to terms with what he was hearing. He ground his teeth, seething when she winced at the sound. He was anguished, but he was also furious. "Don't you think I know that already? Don't you think that if I could stop the way I feel about you that I would? Do you think I like torturing myself? Well I don't! If you like him more than me, fine. Just _stop rubbing it in my damn face_!" he closed his eyes tightly, forcing himself to take a few breaths. He was getting out of control. He needed to collect himself. "Tooth..." he finally looked up at her but she was backing away from him, fearful tears in her eyes. "Toothy I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap-" she darted for the door, leaving before he could say anything more. "Tooth!"

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**Sorry that took so long! (If a couple of days can be counted as too long :p) I wanted to make this chapter kind of dramatic, did I do well? Anyways, please Review! Next chapter will be out as soon as it is written. Up next? Bunnymund takes a turn for the worst? What will happen? Huahahahahaaa! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I apologize in advance for any errors in grammar/spelling or whatever else. I was just so excited to finally start getting to the good parts that I wrote this chapter very quickly. Thanks to all who reviewed and enjoy! :)**

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"Tooth..." Bunnymund watched where she had disappeared, unable to move. His heart thumped painfully in his chest and his paws shook violently. "Tooth I'm sorry..." he whimpered, bracing himself against the doorframe. "I'm so sorry..."

"Mm-hm-hm-hm-ha-ha-ha-ha-haa!" a smooth, amused laughter seemed to fill the empty space behind him and he stiffened. "My-my, Bunnymund..." the voice tsked sympathetically. "You certainly have a problem don't you?"

Aster turned around slowly, looking at his shadow, cast by by the light outside. "What are you doing here Pitch!" he glared and the dark shadow morphed into the familiar shape of Fear.

"What do you mean? I'm not really here, I'm still in my prison." he said innocently. "I think you and I both know I'm going to be here a while... But, even though I am trapped I can still manifest where fear is created." the shadow practically smirked. "I never suspected to find you striking fear into any of your fellow Guardians." he chuckled.

"Get out of my house Pitch!" he hopped outside, pulling the shadow along with him. Pitch screached in surprise, his claws digging at the ground as he was pulled across the field, but his zero physical form did him no help. "Go back to that hole you call home before I drown you in the river!" although he had no actual body, years of fighting him had proved that even his little visions could be forced into disappearance if you caught one and submerged it into something. "You picked a bad day to piss me off." he glared at the almost formless figure.

Pitch was silent for a small moment, then his form separated from Bunnymund's shadow and he formed up against a nearby tree. "Come now Aster-" the Pooka growled at the use of his first name, only Tooth ever called him by that name. "-I just want to talk, like civilized beings." he dropped to the ground in what looked like a sitting position but Bunny wasn't fool enough to relax around him.

"Well then talk." he ordered, preparing to take him by his formless neck and plunge him six feet under, water of course.

Pitch sighed in annoyance. "Can't you come to my realm so we can speak face to face?"

Bunnymund growled, moving forward and pinning the shadow to the tree by the neck. "If you think I'm stupid enough to fall for that you have something else coming to ya mate! Speak it here, now, or get going!"

The shadow calmly and cautiously moved the paw away from his neck. "What if I told you there was a way to get Jack out of the picture? Interested?"

"I'm...listening..." he could feel Pitch smirking at him and he glared. "Impatiently."

"We both want the same thing really Aster. You want Jack gone. I need him here."

"So you can escape again and terrorize the children of the world? I don't think so." he grabbed the shadow and started to drag him over to the large stream nearby.

"N-no! You misunderstand my friend!" Pitch squirmed, trying to get away but the Guardian of hope had a good grip on him. "My-my powers are all but gone! It would be impossible for me to escape!" Bunnymund paused, looking down at the shadow curiously. "I cannot break from my cage. I am all alone down here in the darkness. All I want is a little company..."

Aster stopped near the edge of the stream, looking into the water thoughtfully. "And, what exactly will stop you from escaping if Jack's fear somehow fuels you? What will you do to the boy if you get free?"

"Does it really matter? Either way if the boy lives or dies you still get what you want..."

Bunnymund's eyebrows met down in a V. "Jack is a good boy. His disappearance isn't what I want." he stepped into the water and he heard Pitch start to cry out in fear. "You are trying to deceive me into helping you in a way that sounds like it would benefit me, but it won't."

"Aster! Please, don't-don't put me under! I'll leave I swear!" the shadow of Pitch screeched, begging and pleading as he was partially submerged. "Please don't-it hurts too badly!"

"That's the idea ya bastard." Bunnymund pushed the shadow under the water and watched as it slowly trickled away from between his fingers. He watched it disappear with a look of disgust. "Like hell I would subject Jack to that monster..."

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Pitch screamed in agony as the part of his being was swallowed in water. His golden yellow eyes clenched shut, blocking out the Nightmares looking at him with interest as he whimpered. After a minute passed the pain subsided and he felt himself again.

Standing up in his cage he glared at the black horses prancing around him. "What're you looking at?" he smoothed the edges of his robe tiredly and looked around the dark cave. "Oh Bunnymund you are a fool. I will have Jack's soul. And I will rise again, with or without your help..." he smirked and started to laugh. "And when you are at your weakest I will personally cut your heart out and give it to your precious Toothiana. Won't that be a sight?"

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**Please Review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm telling ya mate I ain't seeing things! It was _Pitch_, _right there_-in my _house_!" Bunnymund sighed, sitting down in one of the larger couch chairs. "He was trying to convince me to get rid of Jack...said it would solve my problem...with Tooth..." he looked down at the floor, wringing his paws nervously. "Hell, Valentine I don't know what I should do... I know Jack is a good kid, and I don't hate him for Tooth's attraction to him but..." he ended the thought prematurely and covered his face with his paws.

"Well, this is a pickle..." The older human looked across the room at the Pooka sympathetically but with a hint of humor.

"What do ya mean?"

Cupid chuckled, plucking at a string on the hem of his shirt. "I mean, you don't know what to be more upset about. The fact that Tooth is attracted to Jack or that Pitch might be planning to rise again."

Bunnymund's eyes widened in shock and he slapped his forehead. "I am so dumb!" he jumped up from the couch. "I should have gone to North and told him what's going on!"

Cupid motioned for Bunnymund to sit back down, a sad smile playing across his face. "I don't think that it will hurt for you to wait until you are feeling better Aster. This affair with Toothiana has clouded your judgement. It might be best for you to take a moment to collect your thoughts and come to your own conclusions before you go off to save the world..." He took the tea pot from the end table and poured two cups of tea. "Just tell me exactly what happened...if that's not too much to ask." he handed a cup to the Pooka and sat back to listen.

Aster took the cup gratefully, holding it between his shaking paws. The drink was nice and hot, and the cold in his fingers instantly vanished. "I always knew she was fond of Jack, I just didn't think she'd ever say it like-like she did..." he trailed off, tapping his foot on the ground irritatedly.

"And? What happened next?" Cupid prodded gently for more.

"I...I yelled at her. I hadn't any right to but I did... She was just trying to tell me to let go and move on because she-she..." he swallowed down hard on the lump in his throat. "Because she doesn't love me... I just couldn't stand hearing her say that..." he looked up from the floor, trying to hold back the water in his eyes. "What should I do mate? I'm clueless! I don't know how to live with myself knowing that the one person I've loved since-..." he bit down on his lip harshly, unable to say his wife's name. "since..."

Valentine gripped his shoulder tightly, giving him a reassuring shake to knock him out of whatever pondering he was trapped in. "Bunnymund, you can't change how someone feels. Believe me, if it were possible I would have found out how by now... And you can't easily change how you feel either. The best thing for you to do would be apologize to Toothiana for the way you reacted, believe me that will help you get back in her good graces." he sighed, shaking his head. "Women...they love it when we admit we're wrong... I get it, but I'll never understand it..."

"I _scared_ her, Cupid. She ran from me in _fear_. That's when Pitch showed up." Aster brought the tea cup to his lips and took a small sip. It wasn't like anything he had tasted before. It tasted like mint and lemon, but there was something strange about it... He set the cup down quickly, feeling his head start to spin..

"Get some rest my friend. We can discuss Pitch when the others arrive. I'll send for them and they will be here when you wake up..." Valentine's voice sounded distant and almost murky. "Get some sleep, you need it."

"I'm not-" He couldn't finish statement as a wave of exhaustion overtook him...sweeping him off into sweet sleep...

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**Uh-oh... Kind of sounds like bunny was just drugged :/ Mischievous Cupid, but I'm sure it was for poor Bunny's own good. Next chapter will be up soon. In the meantime please Review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

"Bunny... Come on ya fluffy kangaroo, get up!" there was laughter beside him, and he could hear the rustling of leaves in the air. "Aster... Come on, we have to go home!" the voice pleaded with him in playful annoyance.

Bunnymund smiled, peeking one green eye open to look at her. His wife. His Elizabeth. Her light brown-gold fur stood out beautifully against the background of Fall colored leaves. Her dark brown eyes were soft and kind, and her ears stood up lopsidedly as she watched him. "And what is so important that we have to go now Shiela?" he laughed at her stern look. "Why can't we just stay here for a moment longer?"

"It's going to get dark soon." she reasoned, hopping closer to her mate. "And it will get cold..."

"And when have we ever minded the dark or cold?" he smiled, pulling her down to join him on the ground, wrapping his arms around her securily.

Elizabeth scoffed. "You may have never been afraid of the dark Aster, but believe me-I have a morbid fear of it!" she smirked, rubbing her nose softly against his.

He chuckled lightly, kissing her briefly before locking eyes with her. "I love ya Lizzy..." he called her by her pet name and she snuggled closer into his chest, whispering her love to him as the sun started to go down...

Before he could react things shifted and changed. The sky turned black and the wind blew harder against the two Pooka as they clung to each other. A malicious, all too familiar voice spoke up and Bunnymund growled. "Well, isn't this a precious scene?" Pitch's voice boomed around them as clouds lit up with lightning. "How cute, Bunny I didn't know you even remembered your wife."

Elizabeth twisted in her mate's arms, looking around in fright. "Aster-"

Bunnymund looked around, his heart pounding. It was a dream? He was dreaming? Why was Pitch here in his head?

The thundering voice laughed, and darkness surrounded the two of them. "You know Aster, when I took your wife away from you in life this is what I saw... You were both scared, helpless..." he sighed at the memory. "And so affraid..."

"Get out of my head!" Bunnymund screamed at the disembodied voice, holding Lizzy even closer to him. He took his boomerang from his back and kept her behind him, his paw grasping hers tightly. Pitch just laughed again and the blackness thickened around them.

"Aster!" Elizabeth screamed, her paw wrenched from his as she was dragged away into the swirling smoke. "Aster help!"

He tried to go after her. He tried to reach out to her. But the black smoke swirled around him, encasing him in rope bonds. He couldn't move, and he could hardly breath. "Elizabeth!" he growled in frustration, struggling to break free but he was helpless. His green eyes started to water and he watched in horror as she was ripped away from him. "No!"

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Cupid looked down at the sleeping Pooka worriedly. Bunnymund was curled up in a ball, shivering fitfully and whimpering in his sleep. His nose twitched and his eyes were watering.

Valentine hadn't expected this. The powder he slipped into his friend's tea was supposed to help him sleep and bring back good memories of his past. He had never used it himself, but Sandman had assured him it was safe to use. But the Guardian of hope looked like he was having nightmares.

"Perhaps his encounter with Pitch had worse consequences then we thought..." He just hoped that Sandy would show up soon...

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**Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. North and the gang will make an appearance. :)**

**Please Review. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Sandman looked at his fellow Guardian, his golden eyebrows furrowed in a V in thought. His powers had proven useless to help Bunnymund in his poor state and nothing was able to wake him. They had all tried to shake him awake, but he would just whimper and grip the couch cushion with both paws as if it would save his life. After being assured by Cupid that the dosage of the sleeping powder was small, Sandy had concluded that they would just have to wait it out.

But the feeling in his gut never eased. Bunnymund was having a nightmare, and he could do nothing to help him. Which either meant that Pitch had grown significantly stronger (unlikely) or the Pooka was subconsciously refusing help and subjecting himself to self inflicted torture. Neither options were good for his well being...

His musings were cut short at the sound of wings and a feeling of winter entering the room. He looked up as Tooth and Jack entered the room, both smiling and happy.

"Sorry we're late North, we were just-" Toothiana froze as her eyes rested upon the sleeping figure on the couch. She looked instantly worried but almost hesitant to go to him, which was odd. Sandman looked at her curiously when she edged around the group to get a better view of him without going near him. That wasn't like her at all. "What happened?"

North spoke up when Valentine was opening his mouth to speak, interrupting the younger man. "Pitch has found way in Bunny's head." he tapped the side of his temple to emphasize. "He is having nightmare. He won't wake."

Sandy watched Jack approach, eyeing him warily. He had no quarrel with Jack, but if the boy was going to poke fun at Aster he wasn't going to allow it.

The boy looked concerned for a brief moment before his white teeth shone in a big smirk. "Guess the fluffy kangaroo is having a hard time of it?" Jack looked down at him curiously as he muttered something to the extent of 'not a kangaroo' in his sleep. Sandy watched as the white haired boy leaned over the Pooka, spreading his green eye open with a finger and thumb. "Has anyone tried-ah!"

Sandy jumped as the winter spirit stumbled back in shock. His jacket covered arm was grasped tightly by Bunnymund. The Easter Bunny's usually bright emerald eyes were filled with pain and anguish. But all overshadowed by an unbridled amount of hatred. He glared up at the white haired boy. "Never-" he choked, grabbing hold of the boy's shirt. "Never again!" he pulled him him closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "Never call me that again!" he growled, shoving the boy away hard enough to knock him onto the floor. "If you ever address me with that term again I will cut your throat and deliver you to Pitch myself!"

Sandy looked at him wide eyed, and he could see everyone else in the room stiffen.

Bunnymund stood, glaring at Jack. "He came to me proposing that I bring you to him. I refused!" he snarled. "I refused because I knew that if I let him kill you Toothiana would never forgive me! I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself! But I swear-I Swear!-" he pointed at the boy murderously. "-If you ever call me a Kangaroo again I will kill you! Kill You! Even if Tooth loves you..." he stumbled, leaning against the wall to steady himself.

Sandy started preparing a dream sand ball behind his back incase things turned uglier. But Bunnymund simply took a look around the room and disappeared in one of his rabbit holes...

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**Poor Bunnymund... Did anyone ever wonder why the term "Kangaroo" bothered him as much as it did? Well my explanation is that his wife used to call him that and every time Jack uses the name it brings back painful memories.**

**I promise this will be a SweetTooth fic! It's just taking time. Leave a Review and I will try to update soon. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Jack stood frozen in place, looking wide eyed at where the Guardian of Hope (and the only person to almost make him wet himself) had just disappeared. "What. The. Heck. Was. That!?" he looked at each of his fellow Guardians in turn, ending with Toothiana. She looked at him, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Tooth? There something you not telling?" North raised an eyebrow at her in question, and all eyes trained on her. Her cheeks flushed deep crimson, but despite her embarrassment she still looked torn apart, and afraid.

Jack reached out and touched her shoulder, making her jump. She glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze to the floor. "Toothy, what did Bunnymund mean by 'even if Tooth loves you'? And why would he want to turn me in to Pitch anyways?" he was full of questions, but he only burdened her with the most important two on his mind.

The Toothfairy looked up at him with a sorrowful gaze and parted her lips to speak, but no words came. She was just in too much shock. Her wings stopped fluttering all together, and she dropped onto the wooden floor, staring at him. "I-I thought..." her sadness seemed to drown her, and he could hear the hurt in her voice. "I thought you...liked me."

He looked at her confusedly, not grasping what she was trying to say. Of course he liked her. They were friends. They went places together all the time! They hung out at her castle and at parties. Just a few months ago they had gone to Cupid's Valentine's day party together-

His eyes widened a little in shock as he started to catch on. He glanced from the fairy to the older human standing behind her. Cupid gave him a look, confirming his hypothesis. Tooth liked him. More than a friend. And he hadn't even realized it. "Tooth-" he shook his head, unsure what to say when another idea popped into his head. Was Bunnymund jealous of him? It made sense that after years of being close friends that the freakishly huge bunny rabbit would start to think of Toothiana as more than a friend. But if that was so, why hadn't he said anything to her? Or had he?

All sorts of new questions were storming around in his mind until he heard Tooth sigh, on the verge of tears.

Cupid cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "North, Sandy, why don't we go out onto the balcony and discuss this issue of Pitch. I may not technically be a Guardian yet, but I can offer some advice." the man ran a hand through his graying dark hair, and lead them away.

As soon as he was left alone with the fairy, Jack felt a cold chill sweep over him. Not like normal. This sensation burned deep in his gut, and he knew what he had to do. He liked Tooth as a friend and only as a friend. And as far as he was concerned, that wasn't going to change any time soon. So, he had to be careful with his next words to her. He had to let her down easy...

"Tooth, we need to talk." he took her hand carefully in one of his own and lead her outside onto the balcony. The fresh air would help her, but he knew that by the time he was finished she would be reduced to tears.

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Pitch looked across the dungeon at the globe on the floor, glittering with little gold lights. A smile played across his features as his plans started connecting in his mind. Yes, the children of the world were what kept the Guardians going. But they also relied on each other. Together they were immensely strong, but alone they were close to helpless.

All he had to do was pick them off one by one until there were none left. And he would start with the strongest. The one who had been hardened by time and battle. The one who at the moment was also at his weakest.

"Oh yes Aster... You and I will have a marvelous time of it. I may not be my strongest, but you are starting to stretch too far. Your sanity is slowly ebbing away." he looked at a particular dot on the globe. "And I know just how much force it will take to break you..." he started to laugh, but was violently cut off by the nightmares crashing into his cage.

"Hey, knock it off!" he glared at them and they eyed him cautiously. "I am not affraid of you! You will do as I command you!" the largest of the black horses snorted at him, sending a spray of sand in his face. Pitch made a sound of disgust as he wiped the sand away. "Stupid horse... You'll see! I'll make that Pooka come to us of his free will, and then you can feast on his fear instead of mine!" he glared at them and sat down on the floor of the large cage again.

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**Toothiana probably knows how she made poor Aster feel... Poor gal. And Jack, goodness how awkward would that be right? Ugh, I would hate to face a situation like that! :p**

**Anyways, suspense! What does Pitch have planned next? Leave a Review and stay tuned! :**)


	13. Chapter 13

**Wow, short chapter. So sorry. I am totally obsessing over other stories right now but I am actually kind of happy with this chapter. I hope you enjoy. :)**

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"Aster... Aster, what have I done to you?" Toothiana peered down at the reflecting mirror in Valentine's sitting room. The Easter Bunny was out in the woods, in the dark and all alone. His ears drooped down and his face was wet with tears. And he kept screaming, the agony in his eyes like someone had run him through with a blade multiple times.

Tooth felt her already tear reddened eyes grow moist again as she watched him double over onto the ground. His paws covered his face as he curled into a ball but she could still see his lips moving, pronouncing undeniable letters. "I hate you! Jack! Pitch! Manny! I hate you all! Why have you done these things to me? What have I ever done wrong? What did I do to deserve this?"

She couldn't watch anymore. Tearing her gaze from the reflecting pool she stumbled out of the room. Conflicted feelings were coursing through her at the speed of light! She was upset to find out that Jack hadn't really liked her like she thought he did. And she was heartbroken when she thought about her fluffy friend. He was in so much pain. All because of her...

"This is all my fault." she sniffed, wiping tears away from her eyes. "If I hadn't come to conclusions this never would have happened..." she jumped when she heard North laugh disbelievingly in the next room with the rest of the guardians, (plus Cupid, and Mother Nature who had just arrived). But she continued past the door without pausing. She couldn't bring herself to face them. Not yet.

She had to find Bunnymund and apologize for being such a jerk...

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Aster glared up at the moon, his voice cracking from over use. "What's the point in living if not for the chance of happiness? The hope for something better?" he listened hopefully for an answer but none came. "I don't know what you want from me anymore. I am the Guardian of Hope! But how can I guard something that has completely deserted me?"

The wind swept over him and he shivered. It was late in the night where he was, and patches of snow glittered on the ground here and there. It was as if two of his greatest enemies were ganging up on him. Cold and Dark. Frost and Pitch.

He sighed, trying to pull himself together. It was silly of him to dwell on things he couldn't change. Tooth was in love with Jack. She had said she would never love him. He had to accept it. But he knew that to accept such a fact, he couldn't see her again. It would just break the small thread of sanity he had left. He had to distance himself from the other Guardians. It was his only hope to forget about her and the pain she caused him.

"Bunny! Bunny help!"

Bunnymund jumped to alertness, hearing the clear voice ring in his ears. He looked around the forest, sniffing the air for any trace of a person but there was no one.

"Bunny!" the voice was frightened.

"Soph?" he looked around in confusion. He was sure he was hearing the little girl's pleas for help, but how could-

He looked down at the gold ring on his right paw and he felt his heart freeze. "Sophie..." she was in danger! He had to find her! "Hold on Soph, I'm coming!" he tried to tell her through the charmed ring as he hopped down into one of his rabbit holes.

"I'm scared!"

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**Muahahahaaaa! Cliffhanger anybody? :)**

**Please leave a Review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Sophie? Soph, where are ya little Sheila?" Bunnymund pounced up out of his hole, his emerald green eyes searching the area for danger. His paws were clamped around his boomerangs tightly and he growled at...nothing. There was absolutely nothing going on. His eyebrows met in a confused V as he did a double take. There was nothing wrong. No Nightmares. No Pitch. Nothing. "Sophie?"

"Bunny!" the shaggy blonde haired girl called to him from above him with terrified eyes. She was clinging to the branch of a tree for dear life, wrapping her arms around it where she sat so she wouldn't fall. "Help me!" she begged, hugging the branch even tighter.

Bunnymund looked at her in disbelief. "How did you get up there?" the tree was at least twenty feet tall, and she was over half way up it.

"I was climbing with Jamie and I can't get down." her eyes started to water and she sobbed in fear.

Where was Jamie? If he had been with her shouldn't he have been able to get her down, or at least stay with her? Maybe he went to get an adult? He wouldn't just leave his sister alone.

"Help me down!" the desperation in her voice was too horrible to listen to. And her sobs were becoming louder. "Please!"

"Hold on, just give me a second Soph..." he spoke softly, trying to reassure her. He hopped over to the tree and tried to find a way to handle the situation. Right away he routed out the possibility of climbing up after her. He wasn't built for climbing trees. "Okay, hey sheila?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I want you to close your eyes, okay? I need you to trust me, and do exactly what I say. Can you do that Sheila?" he waited until she nodded and then sighed deeply. "Okay, close your eyes." she did. "Now, I want you to let go of the branch."

She quivered, clenching her eyes tighter shut. "But I'm scared!"

"I know, but everything is going to be okay. I promise." he tried to ignore the sour taste in his mouth as those words left his lips. They were near exactly what he had said to-no. He couldn't think about that now. "You have to trust me. Let go of the branch and let yourself fall out of the tree. I will catch you."

"Promise?"

He laughed softly, hoping to keep the girl calm. "Yes Soph, I promise."

"Pinkie promise?"

"Pinkie-what?-" he shook his head, ignoring the phrase. "Yes, I pinkie promise." he watched her quietly as she slowly puled her fingers away from the branch. Her white knuckles flushed red as the pressure left her hands and she took a deep breath. "That's my girl..." he said softly, encouraging her. She was quite brave for a girl of such a young age. "Come on, you can do it."

For a split second her eyes peeked open and she looked down at him. All doubt had left her. He gave her a reassuring smile and she took a deep breath, grasping her small hands around her golden necklace as she tumbled over the side of the tree branch. And in a moment, he caught her safely in his arms.

"Bunny!" she laughed, rolling around in his fluffy arms to look up at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, almost suffocating him but he didn't care. "Bunny saved me!" she giggled, holding up her necklace to the sunshine. Bunnymund watched as she admired it in wonder with a smile.

"Sophie!" the sound of a worried mother reached his sensitive ears and he set the girl down on the ground quickly. He was just in time too. Sophie's mother and Jamie darted around the corner of the fence, looking absolutely frantic. "Oh Sophie, are you okay?" the mother ran to embrace her child, but Jamie hung back, beaming at the Easter Bunny.

Bunnymund laughed quietly as the woman fussed over the little blonde.

"I'm fine mommy, the Easter Bunny saved me." She squirmed out of her mother's grasp and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Oh, we'll wasn't that nice of her..."

"HER?" Bunnymund choked out the word, gasping in disgust along with Jamie. However the children's mother couldn't hear or see him and merely took Sophie by the hand an lead her back to their house. "Somebody just put me outta my misery already! This is getting ridiculous!" he huffed, turning his head as he heard Jamie snicker.

"My mom thinks you're a girl..." he couldn't stop laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... Laugh it up. Rub it in my furry face." Aster smirked at him and ushered him back up the hill to follow his family up to the house. After his dispute with Jack, he felt empty but perhaps that was what he needed. Maybe this was Manny's way to make him see that his love for children had to take priority over the love of his life. And if that was what he was trying to say, he could get used to it...

* * *

Pitch let his bright white teeth shine from within the darkness of his shadows. Bunnymund had just given him everything he needed to bring him down. "Sophie... Little Sophie... You don't even know you have sealed your Guardian's fate." his eyes trained on the golden charm necklace around the little girl's neck, laughing softly to himself. His time was now.

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**I'm just going to say that I felt like crud when I wrote this. I was a little mad and just upset so sorry for any errors or if it doesn't flow well. I'll try to make a better next chapter :)**

**Please leave a Review :)**


	15. Chapter 15

"I ain't a girl, for crying out loud!" Bunnymund stared disbelievingly at Jamie's family gathered around the table. The boy had invited him to stay with them and he had accepted. He was enjoying watching the family converse in the living room, but when they came up with him as a topic it all went down hill.

"I grew up believing in a female Easter Bunny. And I believe her name would be Bonnie." Sophie and her brother snickered quietly as their mother continued to explain all the reasons Bunnymund should have been a girl as he stared on in utter horror. So he liked coloring eggs, was that such a girly thing?

"Bunny's a booooy!" Sophie laughed, falling back onto the couch sloppily, clutching her necklace tightly in her small hand.

"Yeah, and his name's Bunnymund, not _Bonnie_!" Jamie piped up.

Aster sighed in defeat as the kid's mother just shrugged it off. After some time of recollection he finally remembered who she was as a girl, and she had caused him a lot of trouble when she was young. She was constantly telling others that the Easter Bunny had to be a girl or he didn't exist. It made lots of kids in the area stop believing in him. He shook his head at her, if she could see him now he would've given her a small piece of his mind...

Sophie yawned slowly, pressing the back of her hands to her tired eyes. Jamie laughed quietly and hopped off of the couch. "Come on sis, let's go to bed." the girl nodded and he picked her up to carry her up the stairs to their rooms. Bunnymund smiled at the two of them, glad that Jamie was such a great big brother to Sophie.

"I don't know what to do about her Howard..." Aster turned back to the parents still sitting on the couch. "She's four years old and she's having nightmares. I don't know what could be causing them..."

Suddenly, even with his fur, the room felt colder. "Pitch..." he growled, looking around the room, but there was nothing. He had been planning to leave as soon as the children went to bed, but if the King of Nightmares was lurking around and scaring his favorite little Sheila... Maybe he'd stay and watch over her for the night, just in case.

He watched over her from the corner of her room, watching as the golden dream sand appeared over her head. All seemed peaceful. She was dreaming about a fairy and a bunny in a field showing her where to find flowers. She smiled in her sleep, turning over onto her side to suck her thumb. She looked safe enough, but he couldn't help feeling like something was going on. Something was going to happen if he left, and he just couldn't shake the feeling.

He hopped quietly over to the side of her bed and patted her hair affectionately. "Goodnight ya little ankle biter... Sleep well." he pecked her forehead and curled up on the cold floor. With a wide mouthed yawn, he closed his eyes. "I won't let anything happen to you..."

* * *

"Oh North, I don't know where he could be!" Toothiana sat down on the globe watch controls, slumping forward in defeat. She had searched for Aster for hours and she couldn't find him anywhere. "What if he never comes back?"

North smiled lightly and patted her shoulder encouragingly. "Bunny will come. He may leave for some time, but always comes back."

"But what if he doesn't? What if he gets hurt and we can't find him? What if I can't apologize..." her eyes teared up. "What if the last thing I said to him was that I didn't love him? What if he thinks I hate him now?" she continued to ramble, her heart fluttering as fast as her wings. But she stopped as bright white light filled the room.

"Man in Moon!" North declared in welcome, shooing some elves away from the round disk on the floor. Toothiana went to join him, being the only other Guardian there. "What brings you to visit here?"

Tooth watched as a shadow appeared on the ground, one that was recognizable in a heart beat. It was Bunnymund.

She and North exchanged worried glances, but she stayed silent. The shadow moved, shrinking smaller to reveal two more figures that emerged from the darkness. Pitch and a small child. The shadow puppet show continued as the Nightmare king whisked the child away and Aster chased after them. He followed them and just as he caught up, Pitch let the child go. Bringing out a weapon he and the Pooka met in battle, with the child crying in the corner. In moments the blade was thrust into Bunnymund's chest, and Pitch rose as victor. And with that, the images faded.

Toothiana squeaked, feeling her hands shake. "Aster... Is he?"

North shook his head, suddenly looking very serious. "No. It was just warning." he turned to a yeti, saying something to it before it ran off. When he looked back at her his eyes were filled with fear. "We must find Bunny."

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**Please Review! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Dark. Cold. Shivering. Scared.

Sophie whimpered in her sleep as Pitch stood over her. He laughed softly and sprinkled a little more Nightmare sand over her for good measure. She clutched her blankets tighter around her, tears forming behind her pale eyelids. Pitch watched her with a smirk for a moment longer, and then picked her up. He noted that Aster shifted in his sleep at the squeaking of the floor boards, but he didn't wake.

Even now, he thought about ending the Pooka's life right then and there. But there was just something that didn't seem right about killing him in his sleep. It wouldn't be near satisfying enough. He wanted to see the fear in the Guardian's emerald eyes. And he wanted to see him feel the life draining from his own body. So, with those things in mind he slipped into the shadows with the sleeping girl in his arms.

* * *

"The little girl. That has to be Sophie." Jack concluded. "There is no other child Bunnymund would ever sacrifice himself for, even if he is a Guardian."

"But where is Aster? Oh, I hope he's okay..." Toothiana fluttered around the workshop nervously, biting and chewing on her usually well kept fingernails. "What are we going to do?" she looked at her companions, all who were equally worried.

Sandman brightened slightly, making a few sand images above his head. He made a quick suggestion that they should split up. Two Guardians to find Bunnymund and the other two go check on Pitch in his cage.

"That is great idea, Sandy!" North agreed, nodded anxiously.

"I'll go with Sandy to find Pitch." Jack volunteered. "The two of us could handle him if things got out of control." he reasoned. "And you and North can use a snow globe to go to Jamie's house to see if Sophie and Bunnymund are there."

The Guardians nodded in approval at the plan.

* * *

Sophie twitched on the floor of the black cave. Her blonde hair was tussled messily around her face and on the floor where he had laid her down on a small blanket. And from where he stood, Pitch watched over the girl carefully. Although he had taken her to achieve finally killing one of the Guardians, he wasn't going to harm her. Honestly her four year old innocence in response to fear was quite enjoyable. He looked forward to the years to come tormenting her dreams.

Walking forward, he bent down to pick her up again in his arms. She was still rather small for her age. And he noted that she felt rather fragile as she slept, twisting and turning in her Nightmares. She was having a hard time staying asleep. "Rest easy child. You have done me a great favor. And that should be rewarded." he stroked the girl's small forehead gently and the Nightmare sand slowly dissipated. Sophie stopped squirming and a small smile spread across her face.

Pitch smiled slightly at the sight, sitting down on a nearby cave formation. He held the child securely against his chest, humming quietly to her. It was an old tune, something he had heard a long time ago. And soon, he was singing it quietly.

"Sleep my child and peace attend thee,

All through the night

Guardian angels God will send thee,

All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping

Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,

I my loving vigil keeping

All through the night-..."

He paused, looking up as water dropped onto his hair. He moved out of the way and then continued the song as if there were no interruption. The girl seemed to like it, and had started sucking her thumb in her sleep.

"...While the moon her watch is keeping

All through the night

While the weary world is sleeping

All through the night

O'er they spirit gently stealing

Visions of delight revealing

Breathes a pure and holy feeling

All through the night..."

He stopped suddenly at the sound of sand trickling and footsteps echoing in the cave. Standing up, he backed up into the deeps shadows and watched as Jack Frost and Sanderson came into view. Cursing silently, he disappeared into the shadows and appeared again in a different cavern.

He snarled in frustration and looked around the cavern. The Guardians' appearance was going to send a major stick in his plans. Now he had to find a new place to carry out his plans... But how would he lure Aster to find them?

A thought started to nag at the back of his mind. Something he hadn't considered before. Sophie's fear had fueled him enough to escape his prison. But how had the Easter Bunny been able to come to her aid so quickly? It was then that he spotted the charm necklace around her neck.

"Oh Aster... You made this too easy."

* * *

**Okay, I do not own the lyrics to the song Pitch was singing. I don't really know who wrote it either but I really liked it. Hope you did too. :)**

**Leave a Review Please! I'll update as soon as I can. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey everybody! Happy Saturday! :)**

* * *

_"Bunny! Bunny!" Sophie laughed, running around his feet with her usual bright smile and shaggy locks of hair flying in the light wind. "Bunny come on! Follow me!" she made one last circle before darting into the nearby trees. Bunnymund chuckled at her and bounced into the foliage after her._

_He looked around, his ears twitching at every sound as he searched for the girl. "Where'd you go ya little ankle biter?" he called out to her but she didn't reveal herself. "Come on Soph, where're you hiding?" he hopped around, searching behind the threes and large rocks for her but he didn't see her. "Sophie?"_

_"Bunny help! I'm lost!" the sheer panic in her voice was enough to make his veins pump adrenaline instead of blood. He raced towards the sound of her voice, but every time he got closer it seemed her voice would drift farther away. "Help!"_

_"Heh-heh-heh. Oh my dear Aster, you do seem to be in quite a pickle don't you?"_

_The Easter Bunny froze, standing up on his hind legs. "This is a dream, isn't Pitch?" he snarled, feeling ashamed to have been fooled so easily...again. He heard Sophie cry out for help again and although he knew it wasn't real it pulled at his heart strings._

_"Is it a dream?" Pitch laughed. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"_

"PITCH!" Bunnymund woke up, his ears perked in alertness. The room was still dark, and the moon shone faintly through the clouds. But when he looked to where the girl had been sleeping, she was gone.

"Is it a dream Aster?"

He spun around, looking for any sign of the King of Nightmares. There was no sand, no glowing eyes or teeth. He wasn't there, not even in the form of a shadow.

"You will not find me. At least, not in the house..." Pitch laughed, and only then did he hear where the voice was coming from. He looked down at the ring on his hand and snarled. "Ah yes, now you see." his laughter grew more mocking. "Find Sophie Aster, and you will find me as well and get your oh-so-desired revenge. I will be waiting."

Bunnymund held the ring closer to his lips, growling in pure malice. "Pitchiner Black, I swear: if you hurt one hair on that girl's head I will murder you..."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

"Bunny? Bunny are you here?" Tooth fluttered around the Bennett's house, searching anywhere for the Pooka. "Bunnymund? Sophie?" she flew up the stairs, flying over North who had started up them before her. She darted to the girl's bedroom and through the door open, and it would have crashed against the wall if the Santa behind he hadn't caught it.

"Well, that settles. He is not here." North said grimly from behind her.

"No, we can't be too late..." Toothiana gasped, fluttering aroun the room to check twice. "We have to find him North, before he get himself killed!" she worried, biting at her nearly nonexistent fingernails.

"You mean 'them'. We have to find girl as well." he pointed out.

"Yes I know!" she nearly shouted, collapsing onto the bed with her face in her hands. She started crying. "Nicolas, I can't lose Aster. He's my best friend. And I was so mean to him. I didn't mean to but I was! I can't live with the thought that my last words to him had hurt him so much..." she sobbed.

"Now-now." North patted her shoulder. "We will find him. It will not be too late. You will see." he gave her an encouraging smile. "He can take care himself. He is strong, yes?"

She nodded, but it didn't shake the feeling of dread inside of her. She couldn't help but think that something bad was going to happen, one way or another. She was afraid Bunnymund was going to die.

* * *

**Phew! Sorry that took so long! I lost inspiration for a bit there. But this morning after watching the season finale of Green Lantern the animated series, I was spurred on to write by all the raw emotions coursing through me and I finished this! :)**

**Hope you liked it! Please leave a Review! I'm trying to get to one hundred by the time this story is finished and it only has a few chapters left! So please Review and as always have a great day! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

E. Aster Bunnymund bounded through his tunnels with more speed than he had mustered in centuries. His leaps were fueled by his anger and determination. Pitch had his little Sheila, he had failed to protect her and now he had to find her and get her back before Pitch destroyed her.

His paw quickly wiped across his wet eyes before joining its twin in its rapid run. He couldn't lose Soph, not his little ankle biter. He had already lost Toothiana, he didn't want anything to happen to his little girl too.

He quickened his pace, hopping off of the walls until he was met with a black opening into a dark cave. There he stopped. What if it was a trap? What if Pitch had taken her necklace and was just waiting for him to appear so he could extract vengeance? He couldn't fall into a trap so obviously. But if he was, wouldn't the moon have told him?

The answer was no. Of course, MIM hadn't had the chance to tell him even if he had wanted to. He had traveled underground and was now in the deepest darkest parts of the world. It was up to him to decide if he should continue of go back. And he wasn't going to chance leaving Sophie in the Nightmare King's hands.

With a deep breath, he hopped down into the darker regions of the cave, following the the feeling in his gut as the two golden charms reached out towards each other. "I'm coming for you Pitch. And I am going to kick your asinine rear end to the doorstep of Death herself."

* * *

"Hush little girl, don't you cry..." Pitch mumbled the rest of the small tune quietly as he held Sophie in his arms. Something about the child reminded him of...something. Something he had long forgotten about. And the feeling of regret in every part of his being was eating at him from the inside out. This girl, this small child sleeping peacefully now in his arms was so content.

"I am truly sorry. But if this is a way to be believed in again I will do it." he said out loud to her, and she snored softly. The Nightmare King laughed quietly. "Such innocence..." he could hardly remember the simple times of his childhood anymore. The memories were shrouded in the shadows of the Nightmares. And the memories he did remember we're filled with pain.

Pressing a hand to his temple, Pitch let out a quiet groan. Every time he tried to remember, any time he was around something or someone that seemed familiar he was filled with pain. It was as if a bullet was shot through his head.

"Pitch!" the angered voice of the Easter Bunny filled his ears and the pain in his head left. He smiled victoriously. He had played into his trap, just as he knew he would.

"Well-well-well..." Pitch tuned around to face the enraged Pooka. "Look who finally showed up."

"Let the girl go Pitch." he snarled, his lip curled up to reveal his teeth. Not very many bunnies could look scary, but with his boomerangs and the 'I'm pissed off' look in his emerald eyes, Aster was able to pull it off very well. "Put her down now, and face me like a man you coward!"

"Coward? Is that what you called me?" he shrugged, jostling the girl in his arms a bit. "You're probably right." Sophie stirred awake with a small squeak when she saw the Spirit holding her close. "But this coward somehow was able to steal your precious little-Ow!" he stumbled backwards with a hand over his forehead, pulling it away to see blood trickling down his pale fingers. When he looked up again Bunnymund caught his boomerang. "Alright..." he wipe away some blood that had run into his eye. "Let's do this."

Pitch dropped the girl onto the ground and he heard her scramble into the shadow of a rock. As soon as the battlefield was clear, he through Dark Sand in his enemy's direction, letting loose a loud war cry. Bunnymund responded likewise and met the evil spirit half way.

* * *

**Okay, so... I'm watching the Super Bowl with my family. It interest me for a few seconds but...**

**For me:**

**Super Bowl=boredom**

**Boredom=iPod**

**iPod=Internet**

**Internet=Inspiration**

**Inspiration=writing**

**Writing=New Chapter! :)**

**Oh, also-if you guys like Pitch, go check out my story "In love with a Killer" and let me know what tou think. :)**

**Leave a Review please! (and no harsh comments because I can't stay focused on football for more than five minutes ;**)


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning:: this chapter meets the T rating. Violence and Blood ahead! Ending isn't quite what you'd expect**.

* * *

Flashes of green and yellow appeared within the dark black of Pitch's Nightmare sand as the two Spirits dueled. The Easter Bunny fought with increased fury as the Nightmare King swarmed him with attacks. Fueled by the growing fear in Sophie as she cowered behind a rock, Pitch was becoming more and more powerful by the minute. And Aster was growing weaker.

His attacks were becoming slower, and his reactions clumsy, but that didn't stop him from trying to whoop Pitchiner's rear end. They both were beaten and bruised, and Pitch still had blood running down the side of his face. The bright red against his pale grey skin was sometimes the only thing that the Pooka was able to see through the clouds of black sand.

With another leap, Bunnymund pounced at the man, with an uppercut to the jaw and a kick to his side. He felt a distinct crack of a rib and heard Pitch cry out in pain just before being silenced with a another kick to the abdomen. The man tumbled to the ground in a heap farther away, breathing heavily, panting and wincing from the damage to his ribs.

As Aster walked up to him he faintly saw Sophie peaking around the corner of her rock. He gave her a slightly stern look and pointed for her to get back behind it before she was seen. This didn't make sense. Pitch was winning a few moments ago. A few broken ribs couldn't have stopped him so easily.

"I should have known this would happen..." Pitch muttered, holding one of his hands to his side. "Emiline was right... I am weak. And no matter what I do it will not change that..." if Bunnymund didn't know better he would have said that there were tears in the man's eyes. But if there were, hate quickly replaced them. "It's because of you Guardians that she left me! It's all because of that Jack Frost..." he grimaced, bracing himself against the floor a he started to get up. He rested on one knee, not even looking up at the Pooka.

"What are you talking about Pitch?" Aster paused just a few feet away from him, his ears perking forward slightly. He had never heard of a Spirit named Emiline before, and he definitely had never heard of anyone ever being with Pitch, let alone leaving him. It crossed his mind that he didn't know much about Pitch as a person.

A malicious laugh disrupted his thoughts and before he could react he felt something thin and slick pierce into his chest. "Anything that can distract you Aster." Pitch whispered into his long ears, twisting the sharp knife in his chest. Bunnymund let out a loud cry as it tore into his flesh, causing red blood to pour down his fur.

"Bunny!" Sophie's cry pierced his ears as he crumpled to his knees and paws.

He felt the knife shove deeper into his chest and he gasped in pain. "S-Soph..." he stuttered, faintly hearing Pitch laugh above him as he carved open his chest. "Sophie, I need you to do something, o-okay?" he locked eyes with her terrified ones, trying to look confident and not in agony. "I need you to close your eyes okay? You have to promise to keep them shut. Do you understand?" she nodded, fearful tears streaming down her face. "Don't open your eyes until I say so, okay?"

"I-I pinkie promise..." she quivered, burying her face in her hands after tightly closing her eyes.

Bunnymund nodded thankfully and let out a sharp cry as Pitch moved the knife across his chest. "Everything's going to be okay, don't be afraid Sophie. Don't be-" he choked, every breath was harder to take than the last. "Everything is going to be fine...just-don't-don't open your eyes..."

Pitch laughed. "Just keep telling her that Aster. It will feed her so much fear. And that will make me so much stronger." he purred, yanking the bloodied blade from his furry chest. "And when I'm done with you, I am going to hide her away. I'm going to eliminate all of the Guardians one by one until only Jack is left. And I will make him pay for what he has put me through!" he lifted the knife up and inspected it as blood dripped from it. "You should have worked with me when I offered Aster. I had nothing against you personally. I only wanted to get to Frost. But now, I am going to pick them all off. The next will be your precious Tooth fairy. And I will make sure she dies a longer death than any of the others."

"No!" he struggled to stand, but was kicked back down. He grimaced in pain and he could feel Pitch's shadow of fear overcome him.

But Pitch wasn't really focusing on him. He was staring at someone across the room. When Aster turned to look he saw a woman he was unfamiliar with, but in his state he knew exactly what she was. It was a Reaper. And she was there because he was dying.

* * *

**Dun-dun-dunnnn! ;)**

**Next chapter will be out as soon as I write it, it will probably be from Toothiana's point of view for those who have been waiting to see more from her. Thanks for reading! Enjoy the cliffhanger. ;)**

**Please Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

What happened next he could hardly recall with clarity. He remembered seeing Pitch running away, and hearing a familiar voice asking him if he was alright. But he wasn't thinking of himself, he just shouted for whoever it was to take Sophie away. That's all he could think about was keeping her safe. And then the room shook and all went dark...

The next sensation he felt was a warm light on his fur. A soft breeze brushed past him with the smell of the ocean. And when he opened his emerald eyes he was on a grass covered cliff area, with the waves crashing far below. It wasn't a frightful seen. The soft orange light of the sun setting over the distant waters actually made it feel tranquil. There were light grey clouds scattered over the sky, and nearby he heard a seagull calling.

He sat up slowly, paws grasping confusedly at his chest. There was no cut, no blood, no sign at all that he had ever been in that cave. And best of all, he didn't feel dead. But the familiar figure that was coming towards him proved indefinitely that he was.

"Elizabeth?" his jaw went slack when he saw her smile, the same smile she had always given him when he said something obvious.

"Hello Aster, it's nice to see you again." she said quietly, as if her words were being whisked away by the wind. She looked sad, her golden brown ears drooped and her eyes were filled with tears. "But you can't stay here. As much as I want you to, you're not supposed to be here."

Unable to contain himself, he quickly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her face, softly nuzzling her lovingly. "What do you mean I'm not supposed to be here?" he closed his eyes as she returned the hug, savoring the contact with her. "If I'm not supposed to be here, why am I?"

He heard her sighed softly, her paws stroking his much longer and fluffier fur. She had joked with him that she only liked him because of his long fur, it was one of the many fond memories he had of her. "Aster... You're not dead. You just want to be. And you need to stop."

"I don't understand Sheila.." he held her at arms length, his ears quirked in questioning.

"Aster I know you. And a depressed, suicidal, and irrational person is not you. You knew you should have gone to get help from your friends but you didn't. You knew you were no match for Pitch alone, but you still went." she looked at him sternly as he tried to interject and he shut up. "I know you are hurting inside, but that shouldn't dictate you as a Guardian E. Aster Bunnymund. You need to screw your head back on straight and man up." after that harsh string of words she sighed. Her eyes went sad and she kissed his nose. "I miss you, but I can't be selfish. You are destined to do a lot more Aster. Besides... Your heart doesn't truly belong to me anymore."

"That is not true, my heart will always belong to you." he was confused. What she said had a ring of truth, but he didn't understand.

She smiled sadly and released him, stepping back away from him. "There's someone else now. And she has taken you from me. I will always remember you Aster, but you need to move on. Toothiana is a wonderful person whether she returns your feelings or not. And if I am to be replaced, I'm glad it is by her."

"Lizzy, I don't want to lose you." he just barely found her again, he had so much he wanted to tell her, but she silenced him.

"Bunny, I don't need you anymore." she glanced down at the crashing waves and when he looked closely too he could see a form of Earth. "But there is a little girl down there who still needs you to tell her when she can open her eyes."

Bunnymund heaved a sigh, knowing that as usual, she would win this argument. If he wasn't meant to die yet, well then he wasn't going to die. But that didn't stop him from wishing he could stay with her. He had missed her. "Will I ever see you again?"

"If we're lucky? No." she laughed as he crinkled his nose in annoyance. "Get out of here you fluffy Kangaroo." she smiled, giving him a shove over the edge of the cliff.

* * *

Sophie shivered fitfully in her brother's arms, her eyes still clenched tightly shut. She heard Jamie and Jack talking but she couldn't open her eyes. This might be another one of Pitch's tricks. And she didn't like tricks. She wouldn't move until the Easter Bunny told her she could.

She felt someone put her in a bed and she quickly snuggled up in the blankets, hiding away from the dark cruel world outside.

What if Bunny didn't come back? What if he went to that place far away where people went when they couldn't stay anymore? What if the Boogyman came back? What if-

Many thoughts ran through her young mind, some much more frightening than she should have been thinking at her age. She was afraid, and she knew that Pitch liked her to be afraid, so she tried to be brave. But she was just too scared.

Tears spilled down her face when she thought that maybe she'd never see her Bunny friend ever again.

"Sophie..." she felt someone touch her shoulder and she froze, her heart speeding up in her chest. She knew that voice. "You can open your eyes now little sheila..."

* * *

**Wow, sorry that took forever. I will most definitely come back and edit this chapter, I just knew if I didn't finish it I would forget about it like I have been doing. So sorry for the wait. Next chapter will be out soon! :)**

**In the mean time, please leave a Review. :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks for the feedback, you guys have been awesome readers and reviewers and I can't thank you enough for the support. :)**

* * *

"Jack, you found Sophie!" Toothiana exclaimed in relief, feeling relieved until she saw the look of sorrow on the young spirit's face. "Where's Aster? Did you find him?"

Jack shook his head slowly, his normally bright eyes almost dull. "I'm sorry Tooth... He told me to get Sophie away from Pitch and after I left...the roof of the cave collapsed.. I'm-I'm sorry." he held Sophie closer and flew off in the direction of her home, leaving the three remaining Guardians in the dark caves.

Tooth felt numb inside. Dead? Bunnymund was Dead? "No..." she whimpered quietly, falling to her knees on the floor, her wings losing the strength to hold her up. "Aster..." she felt tears stain her cheeks as she sat there with her head bowed. They had been too late. She had been too late. He was gone...

She felt both North and Sandy pat her back soothingly, but she refused to be comforted. She curled up on the ground and sobbed, uncaring of anything else. Bunny was gone. Her Bunny. Her best friend for hundreds of years. Gone...

How could she have been such a fool? To have not seen his love for her and then to have completely crushed his heart when she found out. She hadn't thought about them being a couple a possibility before. But ever since finding out that Jack wasn't interested in her, she was beginning to wonder if it would work. But it was all for nothing now. She was too late to tell him that she did love him, as a friend, and maybe she could as even more in the future.

"Bunnymund, I'm so sorry..."

* * *

The funeral was short and simple. Tooth suspected that he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Aster didn't seem the sort to want a huge fuss over him being dead. They gave him a small speech, and set a picture of him in the stone as a memorial. And that was it. Tooth had left quickly to mourn in the privacy of her own home.

Her face buried in a pillow, she let her held in cries of anguish finally come out. She could feel her wet tears staining the pillowcase and leaving salty remains on her cheeks. She felt like her heart was breaking. Her best friend for hundreds of years was dead, and they didn't even have his body to bury. They had searched for him for hours, but there was no sign of him. He could have just fallen deeper into the cavern as the roof collapsed.

They had tried to remain optimistic, choosing to believe that he could still be alive. But after a week in which he didn't show up to prove otherwise, they decided that he truly was gone.

"Aster, I'm so sorry." She sobbed, sitting up on her bed to look at the pictures on her nightstand. She had one of all her guardian friends, and another separate of Bunnymund. He had always had a special place in her heart, and it wasn't until now that she knew exactly where that was.

Reaching out with shaking fingers, she grasped the picture of her friend and held it closely to her chest. "I never got to tell you how much you really meant to me..." she whispered, staring at the ceiling. "I never told you how much I loved you..."

* * *

**Sorry it was so short. Next chapter should be longer. :)**

**Please Review! This story is almost over! :)**


	22. Chapter 22

_February 14th: 4:15pm._

The Warren was unnaturally quiet. As Tooth fluttered through the trees and tunnels she felt that the underground home was rather empty and solitude. The fields were still their crisp ripe colors, despite the absence of their caretaker. The flowers were still blooming. The grass still waved in the wind. It seemed that life would still continue without the Easter bunny.

If only her heart could make the same conclusion. Over the year she had tried to focus on her work, trying to get rid of the horrible thoughts plaguing her of her lost friend. For the first few months it was awful. She couldn't come to terms with it. But now it was becoming a little easier. Just a little.

She had a lingering hope in the back of her mind that somewhere, somehow, Aster was alive. But all evidence pointed to the uglier truth. He was gone. Forever. Coming to his Warren like she had for many years on the fourteenth of February was just he'd way of solidifying that fact. If she saw that his house was empty and his lab was vacant, she would finally be able to put the thoughts to rest.

When she came in sight of the small cottage she stopped, admiring it from a distance. It would be the last she saw of the small place, because she decided that after this she would never return. It was just too painful. To see the place without the person just seemed wrong. It didn't feel right.

Toothiana took a deep breath, bracing herself to take her first few steps onto the porch. The old wood squeaked like it always did, welcoming her. Normally, she would have also been met with a warm hug and an offer to come in to sit by the fire. But she heard no footsteps, no voice beckoning her in. All was deathly quiet.

She pushed the door open, stepping inside the drafty house quietly. Everything was the same as it had been when she was there nearly a year ago on the day of Easter. The day she had cruelly broken his heart and possibly signed his death warrant. As much as North said it wasn't her fault, she couldn't help but think that maybe if she wasn't so harsh he wouldn't have felt it necessary to save Sophie on his own instead of asking for help.

Looking around the old house, she ran her hand over the kitchen counter as she walked, caressing the old house with care. She would miss this place. It held so many good memories. Nights spent curled up on the couch in front of a crackling fire, chatting with Aster about his plans for the next Easter or about a new formula of chocolate he was creating. Or, warm summer days drinking iced tea in his kitchen after a day of yard work. She never really realized how much time she had spent there before Jack became a Guardian... After that she had stopped coming to visit. It must have made him feel awful...

Tooth sighed, rubbing her fingers together as she inspected the amount of dust on the counter. It wasn't nearly as thick as it should have been. "Hmm..." she narrowed her eyes at it, then turned to inspect the rest of the house. The hearth of the fireplace was filled with fresh logs and there was a black kettle left setting near it. But neither had the accurate amount of dust accumulated. As she pondered this she heard the door swing open. The painstakingly familiar voice making her heart freeze.

"Tooth, what're you doing here Sheila? It's only four thirty at the latest."

Toothiana turned around, her eyes locking on the pair of smug emerald ones that were Bunnymund's. He smiled at her, and slipped into the kitchen area to drop his basket of things on the counter. "Are you going to be meeting Jack at Cupid's party tonight or are you going to stay for dinner?" he asked, continuing to unpack his things.

"A-Aster..." her voice cracked with spilling grief as tears rolled down her cheeks. He looked up at her for a moment, his smile falling.

"Toothy, what's wrong?" he was almost instantly at her side, his paws steadying her shoulders. "Tooth?" he watched her carefully and she could only look up at him in horror.

"You-you're dead..." she whispered, unable to breathe. He felt real. His form was solid. She couldn't be imagining it. "We held a funeral for you! You're suppose to be dead!" she went from unable to take a breath to hyperventilating. "You can't-you're not-" she sobbed, and she felt him embrace her. "You're dead..."

"But I'm not dead Sheila." he guided her to sit down and knelt down in front of her, her hands wrapped tightly between his paws. "Why would you think that?"

Toothiana looked down at him, her fears tangling with her joy in a battle with no end. Her sanity was hanging by a thread. "Y-you never came back." the words were like a quiet wisp of wind. She figured if he didn't have excellent hearing, he wouldn't have picked it up.

Bunnymund looked at he in confusion. "Well, no one came by. There were no messages. I was just distancing myself for a time..." he shook his head. "I didn't know you were waiting for me to return."

"Aster, I believed for a year that you were dead. Why didn't you show yourself?!" her mauve eyes met his dark emerald, something inside of her breaking. She was pretty sure it was her heart.

For a moment, he was silent. Then he sighed, letting his gaze drop. "I just needed some time to straighten myself out. I was avoiding you because I realized that you distract me from what I should be doing. My purpose in this life is to protect the hopes of children. And my feelings for you blinded me. I needed to distance myself from you... I'm sorry, I didn't think you would believe I was-"

She didn't mean to do it, it just kind of happened. Her hand flew out from seemingly nowhere, landing a firm hard slap across his muzzle. The unexpected blow sent him to the floor, a paw on his stinging cheek. "I thought you were DEAD! Aster-" she shook her head, her eyes and cheeks still wet with tears. "I wasn't going to be able to tell you!"

"Tell me what?"

"That I love you!" she felt like she was screaming, and maybe she was. Her emotions were a tangled mess. Finally, she let go of her frustration and knocked him to the ground again, this time with a hug. She squeezed his chest until she was sure he couldn't breathe, and planted a kiss on his unsuspecting lips.

* * *

Aster froze, unable to think. Toothiana had slapped him, yelled at him, hugged him and then kisses him! What the heck? But despite his confusion, he felt himself trembling. She was kissing him. Toothiana, the one woman he had loved since Elizabeth, was in his lap with her arms around his neck, kissing him!

He closed his eyes, and gave a helpless whimper. "Tooth, how long have you-" he started, but was cut of was she flicked his nose. It took him by surprise, and almost irked him, but her snuggling into his chest soothed his worries and frustration.

"Just be quiet." she murmured, pressing her face into his long fur. She heaved a sigh and her wings batted lazily. "I'm sorry I said I didn't love you before. That was a lie.. A very mean lie." she tightened her hold around him and he heard her sob again. "I love you so much Aster, I just didn't realize it until it was too late!" she sniffled. "I'm so sorry..."

"Hey.. It's okay Toothy." he smiled down at her, nuzzling her and making her giggle quietly. "I'm not dead. I'm right here." he pet her soft feathers and kissed her forehead. "And I still love you move than anything."

"You do?"

"Yeah." after a short silence, Bunnymund cleared his throat. "You know... If everyone thinks I'm dead, it might be a good idea to make a public appearance.." he rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Maybe, would you like to come to Valentine's party with me tonight?"

"You're asking me?" she seemed a little surprised, but she smiled.

"Yeah, it's about time I did." he chuckled when she nodded happily and flung her arms around his neck again.

"I missed you." she whispered, holding him tightly.

"You won't have to anymore. I'm here and I'm staying."

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**So, there you have it. That's about it except for the epilogue. It will kind of explain how Bunnymund is even still alive.**

**I have a sequel in mind for this but for it to make any sense you might have to read "In love with a Killer". Go read that if you like PitchxOc. :)**

**Anyways, until the epilogue, I wish you all a good day. :) Please Review! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey! Sorry this took longer than expected. I took a break from writing and kind of forgot about it ;p but this is the last chapter (the epilogue) :) so no more waiting on this story! :) it's been a great run, and I hope to see as great of reviewers and readers as you in the next book. :)**

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Cupid watched his party guests with a small, happy smile as he walked around and greeted them all individually. He was glad to see Aster and Tooth together, relieved that they finally...well... He hoped that all would work out between the two of them. They seemed to be having a good time.

Walking past Jack Frost, he gave the boy a light pat on the back and subtly pointed him in the direction of a female spirit by the name of Seraphina Pitchiner. The boy blushed and thanked him for being a generous host before slowly making his way across the room. Cupid smiled at his shyness, sighing at the sweet sight. He almost laughed at the irony that the winter spirit had no clue who the girl was. Ah, young love...

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a familiar Demi-spirit, also known as a Grim Reaper. She was small, thin, with long brown hair and dark eyes. And those eyes looked up at him with intent.

His smile faded into a calm expression as he silently lead the young Reaper away from the group of spirits. Emiline was her name. And he had some business that needed to be settled with her.

"I want to see him." she said firmly, almost pleadingly however. Her chocolate brown eyes were glazed over with a thin layer of tears, and her heart was a place of deep pain. "We had a deal. I let Bunnymund live and you help me. That's what you said."

Valentine nodded, "Yes, I did say that didn't I?" he ran a hand through his graying dark hair with a soft sigh. "Love isn't easy to manipulate, nor a broken heart easily fixed, Emiline. I will do what I can, but it may take time.."

"I don't care how long it takes." she said readily, looking up at him with hope. "I just need him back."

"It would help...if I knew exactly what happened." he waited patiently for her to respond as he opened the door to his private study. He walked leasurly to the bowl in the corner, taking a sand concoction from nearby and sprinkling it into the water to start pulling up the imagery she sought.

The Reaper was silent when she stated at the water, a picture of darkness surfaced. And out of that darkness, she saw her once lover and dear companion, Pitch Black...

"I broke his heart, Valentine." she said quietly, watching the vision of Pitch walking in his caverns screaming at anything in sight. The image brought more tears to her eyes and he could sense that she was truly regretful for what she had done. "He asked me to marry him...And I said that I might...if he were stronger."

Cupid raised an eyebrow at her in question, but she answered before he could ask.

"He had just saved me from Jack, the "King of Scream" not the "Frost"..." she trailed off slightly as she watched Pitch in the water. "I was so happy to see him when he came for me, I would have cried if it weren't for my pride.

"He saved me, and took me away from Jack before the maniac could do anything to me... Pitch brought me back to his lair, and he set me down on his bed..." she almost choked up at the memory, she didn't want to retell what happened next, but she knew she would have to. "He kissed me, and he asked what it would take to convince me to marry him... I said that maybe if he was stronger I would..." she closed her eyes tightly as she began to sob. "I was so stupid Valentine! I wanted to say yes! I should have told him that I wanted to marry him right then, but my stupid pride got in the way!" she sniffed, wiping away her tears on the back of her cloak sleeve. "He tried to prove that he was strong by taking on the guardians. It was stupid, but he did it because I made him feel like he had too. And when he failed to beat them... He thought I didn't want him. I was talking with Jack Frost and he thought that I was abandoning him. It tore him apart...it tore me apart..."

Cupid reached forward and place a calming hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Emiline. Everything will work out in the end. I promise, I will do everything in my power to bring you two back together." he have her a small smile, shrugging dramatically as he looked out his window to the reflection of the full moon. "It might take a little bit of time to convince Manny though..." he saw the girl smile faintly and he knew that she was going to be okay. She was a tough little spirit, but even she could get lonely. And he was determined to help her, no matter how it had to be done.

Little did he know that Manny already had a plan set in motion...

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**Again, so sorry for making you wait for this. It's not at all as great ad I hoped it would be, but be on the lookout for "Battling Fire with Fire" it will be the last book in my little series. Read "In love with a Killer" if you want to know the story with Pitch and Emiline. It isn't finished yet but I will get to it. I have a lot of stuff going on right now.**

**Anyways, please leave a Review and have an awesome week! :)**


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